


For Him

by Griselda_Gimpel



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game)
Genre: Bananas, Dom/sub Undertones, M/M, Pining, Sooga Lives, the interplay of sex and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Griselda_Gimpel/pseuds/Griselda_Gimpel
Summary: How Sooga met Master Kohga, how he lost him, what transpired when they were apart, and how they came to be reunited.Complete!
Relationships: Master Kohga/Sooga
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by just how good of a boss slayer Master Kohga is once he becomes playable.

Before joining the Yiga Clan, Sooga worked alone. Sometimes he was a bodyguard-for-hire protecting traders from robbery. Other times he was the robber whom the traders hired bodyguards to provide protection from. It didn’t matter. Whichever side of the fight he was on, Sooga always came out on top. Every bandit dreams of having their own crew, however, so when Sooga heard rumors of the Yiga Clan, he decided to set his course for Southwest.

“Listen up, you sons of curs,” he bellowed as he strode into the central room of the Yiga Clan hideout. “You’re my crew now. Anyone got a problem with that?”

The masked members of the Yiga Clan looked back and forth from one another. Finally, one of them spoke. “I think Master Kohga might, Mr., ah-”

“Sooga. Master Sooga to you.”

“I’ll go wake him up,” muttered another masked member, but Sooga heard her.

“Wake him up? Your boss is asleep?!” Sooga was incredulous. This was going to be easier than he thought.

“Well, it’s nap time.” With that, the bandit disappeared somewhere deeper into the hideout, and Sooga was left waiting. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, tapped his foot, and glared at the masked individuals surrounding him. He thought about barking orders at them, but he expected to have to kill the existing leader before they obeyed him.

After several minutes, a portly man wearing an elaborate mask wandered into the room. He rubbed the eyehole of the mask and then did some stretches.

“Who are you?” Sooga sneered.

“The stupendous-“ The man paused midsentence to stretch in a different direction. “-Master Kohga!”

“You’re joking.”

“Did you want me to tell jokes?” Kohga asked, confused. “I thought you wanted to fight me one-one-one for leadership of the clan.”

“Yes. I mean, the second one.”

“One condition,” Kohga insisted, holding up a single finger. “If I win, you’ve got to join my crew.”

“Deal,” Sooga said. This made things easier. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about fighting the other members of the clan. They were, after all, soon to be his crew. They’d be more useful to him uninjured.

Kohga, Sooga quickly realized, was a magician of sorts. For his opening attack, he summoned a giant metal ball and balanced on it as he rolled it toward Sooga, who dodged. The ball went past, Kohga lost his balance, and the ball rolled over him before disappearing. Sooga laughed. This was going to be like taking candy from a baby.

As Kohga scrambled to his feet, Sooga slashed at him with his sword, but Kohga parried. Then Kohga did more magic, summoning a clone simulacrum of himself. The simulacrum threw a punch…and it hit Kohga! As the two of them began to slap each other, Sooga shoved into Kohga, sending him flying through the air.

Sooga was just about ready to end things when Kohga landed, pivoted, and launched a red beam of energy. It hit Sooga square in the chest, and by the time it faded, he was on his knees in a daze. Kohga walked over to him and put a finger under his chin.

“Do you yield?” Kohga asked.

Sooga stared in wonderment and then spoke. “Yes…Master Kohga.” 

“Then welcome to the clan!” Master Kohga beamed. “What’s your name?”

“Sooga.”

“I’ll introduce you to everyone,” Master Kohga said.

“How did you do that?” Sooga asked as Master Kohga rattled off names. “I haven’t lost a fight since I was a boy.”

Master Kohga waved a dismissive hand. “There’s no time for that. I’m beat. Anyone got a banana?” A Yiga Clan member – Hina, Sooga recalled – handed Master Kohga a banana, which he peeled and ate. A second banana was handed to Sooga. He tried it. It wasn’t half bad.

“We’ll have to get you your uniform and mask,” Master Kohga said through a mouthful of banana.

“Yes, Master Kohga,” Sooga said.

\---

For the first time in his life, Sooga wasn’t sure what to do. The clothes and mask had been provided. He’d been given a tour and given chores and duties and responsibilities. It was a new experience. Sooga had had employers before, but it was always short term. It only lasted until the merchant arrived at their destination and the contract was completed. He’d never belonged to a gang before.

He could always just leave. It would mean breaking his word, though, and Sooga hesitated to do that. There were advantages to breaking one’s word in the short term, but it created problems in the long run. It might be that merchants wouldn’t hire him as a bodyguard if they got word of his desertion. It was the same reason that Sooga never double crossed a trader who’d hired him and taken all the trader’s money, rather than just his payment. If he did that, word would get around. He wouldn’t get hired, forcing him into thieving full time. That he could handle, but he’d risk finding himself unable to get a room at any inn. Hosts could hardly be expected to put up someone for the night who might break their word to do their host no harm, after all. Breaking the law didn’t bother him but breaking his word would have consequences he’d rather not deal with. No, he wouldn’t leave.

“Sooga! This way,” Master Kohga shouted from the hall as he passed Sooga’s room. Sooga pulled on his new mask and followed.

“What is it?”

“Molduga,” Master Kohga said as he, well, Master Kohga didn’t _run_ ; he levitated with his legs crossed when he wanted to go fast. Sooga had never seen anything like it, but Master Kohga did it without batting an eye.

“Surely you can handle it,” Sooga said as he jogged to keep pace with the leader of the Yiga Clan.

Master Kohga gave him a look, and Sooga read the rebuke even with Master Kohga wearing a mask. “Molduga are tough. I need you to cover me. Can I count on you to do that?”

“Yes, Master Kohga,” Sooga said, glaring at the dirt floor of the hallway. They turned the corner, came out into the light, and the molduga was there. It was menacing three Yiga Clan members – Kyoko, Ryoichi, and Shiro – who were attempting to pull a cartful of bananas into the hideout.

The fight began in earnest, and Sooga spared half his attention to observing Master Kohga as he fought. It was much like Master Kohga’s fight with Sooga. The self-proclaimed top banana was clumsy and slow. His moves missed and backfired. And then he’d launch a red blast at the monster before them. It was ridiculous…but it worked. After three blasts – molduga _were_ tough – the beast lay dead. Members of the clan descended on it, cutting it up for meat and for parts that could be sold.

Sooga smiled a little smile behind his mask. He was starting to understand the clan’s loyalty to their leader. He’d just slain a monster to protect them _and_ provided them with meat for dinner. As the butchery continued, Sooga saw Master Kohga disappear through a hallway. Sooga followed.

“Master Kohga,” Sooga called. His boss stopped and turned.

“Just heading off for a nap. Do you need something?”

Sooga bowed. “I wish to apologize for my insolence.”

“Apology accepted,” Master Kohga assured him, waving a dismissive hand. “Naps are what’s important.” He continued to his room, and Sooga headed back outside to help cut up the meat. As he worked, he replayed the fight in his mind. Sooga had always admired strength and skill. Those traits weren’t obvious in Master Kohga, but that was because surface perception could be misleading. It was a strange experience, having someone better than him, but Sooga was finding that he didn’t hate it. No, he didn’t hate it at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Astor didn’t respect Master Kohga, and that made Sooga angry. Part of that was shame, stemming from the knowledge that he’d once dismissed Master Kohga, as well. The prophet had just shown up one day, claiming that he would herald Calamity Ganon’s return. Master Kohga, with Sooga at his side, listened to Astor’s pitch, and then Master Kohga had judged Calamity Ganon to be a desirable ally to the Yiga Clan. With the existing government structures in disarray, the land would be easy pickings for the Yiga Clan.

It had been some time since Sooga had first joined the Yiga Clan, and in the intervening time, he’d risen to the position of Master Kohga’s right-hand man. They still sparred regularly, to hone their skills and keep their abilities sharp, although neither went all out, lest they seriously injure the other. Sooga even won sometimes, when luck was with him. He found that winning made losing all the more enjoyable. It meant that when the fight ended with Master Kohga pinning Sooga to the ground of the practice area, Master Kohga had earned that victory. Sooga felt his face grow hot at the memory of their latest bout. Before coming to the Yiga Clan, Sooga had had no appreciation for how much he would like being honestly bested in a fight.

“If you could be trusted to accomplish the most basic tasks,” Astor sneered, and Sooga’s fingers twitched. He longed to give Astor a good thrashing while Master Kohga watched. Or possibly for Master Kohga to give Astor the good thrashing, but on the balance, Sooga didn’t think Astor deserved a fight with Master Kohga.

Eventually, the meeting ended, and Master Kohga and Sooga left. Sooga glanced at Master Kohga. The leader of the Yiga Clan seemed unperturbed by Astor’s insults.

“Wanna grab some mighty bananas?”

Sooga nodded. It was almost time for Master Kohga’s nap, and a light snack beforehand would make him suitably drowsy.

“Rupee for your thoughts?” Master Kohga asked.

“I enjoyed our match earlier today.”

“I could tell,” Master Kohga said, and Sooga felt himself go hot behind his mask. He prided himself in his stoicism, but then again, Master Kohga had been right on top of him at the end, straddling him and leaning over him to pin his arms to the ground. The memory of that only made Sooga’s face go hotter. He tried to force himself to focus on the banana he was eating, but that didn’t help.

“These bananas are good,” Sooga said after he’d swallowed. They were good, but it was more an attempt to change the subject than anything.

“You know what the hardest part about being top banana is?” Master Kohga asked conversationally. Sooga shook his head, and Master Kohga went on. “You’ve got to have restraint. Like, let’s say I started dating a member of the Yiga Clan, but then it turned sour. That would make things awkward ‘cause I’d be both their ex and their boss. Doesn’t mean I intend to live my life as a celibate, but I can’t just rush into things. Gotta make sure it’s serious, you know?”

Sooga looked down. “You are very wise, Master Kohga.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Master Kohga said and then tottered off to his room for his nap. Sooga went to the practice area and found three blademasters sparring there. He challenged them to a three-on-one fight and won. It didn’t make him feel better, but it at least tired him out.

\---

“If I used your bodies as steppingstones to cross a muddy street, you lot would be of more use to me,” Astor ranted.

“This is a desert,” Master Kohga pointed out. “We don’t have any muddy streets here.”

Sooga had had enough. “Master, a word with you in private, please?”

Master Kohga followed Sooga out of the meeting room and then down the hall. Sooga turned into one of the banana storage rooms. He closed the door after Master Kohga had entered.

“Why do you permit that man to speak to you that way?” Sooga asked bluntly.

Master Kohga put a reassuring hand on Sooga’s arm, and Sooga felt some of his anger drain away. Having Master Kohga so close to hm was distracting, but he didn’t want to pull away. If he did that, Master Kohga would think that Sooga was angry with him.

“We won’t prevail if we fight among ourselves,” Master Kohga explained. “And I wouldn’t be top banana if I rose to every silly little insult. This our big shot. Calamity Ganon’s gonna put us in charge. It’ll be the best thing that’s ever happened to the Clan. So what does it matter if his prophet’s thinks he’s so high and mighty? It’s just words.”

What Sooga meant to say was, “You are right again, Master Kohga.” However, the words that came out his mouth were, “Goddesses, I want you, Master Kohga.” He blamed the hand on his arm and how close Master Kohga was standing to him.

“Well, I can’t blame you for that,” Master Kohga said, like it was a joke. Sooga could just let it be a joke.

But it wasn’t a joke.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Sooga blurted out.

Master Kohga studied him critically. “This is serious, huh?”

Sooga nodded. Master Kohga trailed his hand down Sooga’s arm and then took his hand. Sooga’s mind when delirious at the touch.

“We’ve got to do it proper, then,” Master Kohga said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we need to get married.”

“Oh.”

“If you want that kind of relationship with me, I need you by my side. You’ll be my husband and co-leader.”

“I don’t wish to lead-”

“You used to.”

“That was before- ah-”

“Then might Astor’s mind also be changed?” Master Kohga asked, switching topics at light speed. Sooga struggled to follow.

“I see. Once more, you are right.”

“Now here’s how it’s gonna go,” Master Kohga explained. “We conquer Hyrule and then announce our engagement. Planning a wedding’s a big deal, and we can’t afford to have our attentions divided. And we’ve got to have a big celebration so everyone gets that it’s a big deal. Until then, you’ve got stay just my best lackey. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Master Kohga,” Sooga said. He suspected that once the agreement had had a chance to sink in, he was going to be delirious with happiness. At the moment, his mind was in such a whirl that he didn’t think he’d be able to answer how bananas you’d have if you had two and stole two more.

“You know, you don’t have to call me ‘Master’ after we’re married. I mean, not unless you want to.”

Sooga gave a low bow. “Even when you are my husband, you will always be the top banana.” That got a chuckle out of Master Kohga, who gave Sooga’s hand a squeeze and headed back to the meeting room. Sooga followed a pace behind him. They only needed to put up with Astor’s insolence a little longer, and everything would be perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Sooga’s regard for Astor had dropped since the so-claimed prophet had first come to the Yiga Clan. He had matched disrespect with failure, but for all his bluster, it was Calamity Ganon that he served. And they did not wish to make an enemy of Calamity Ganon.

“Our next move will deliver us victory,” Astor protested. Sooga eyed him dubiously, but Astor continued his monologue, “I need you two and two dozen others. We go to Hyrule Field.”

“Who is the top banana, him or you?” Sooga asked Master Kohga after they had left the conference room.

“His time will come,” Master Kohga assured him, “We just got to get what we want first.”

“I do not like the way things are going.”

“Be patient, Sooga. It’ll all be over soon. And it’s not like we have to invite him to our wedding. Hey, do you think Calamity Ganon will officiate the ceremony?”

That got a weak chuckle out of Sooga, and then they set about rounding up a team for Astor’s mystery mission.

\---

It was a trap, and the trap was sprung before they had a chance to react. Astor made a sweeping motion with his arm, it was like a wave of force hit all of the members of the Yiga Clan. By the time Sooga and Master Kohga regained consciousness and had struggled to their feet, most of the Clan lay dead. Before them, Astor made a gesture, and a red orb was pulled from Hina’s chest. Another gesture, and Shiro met the same fate. Sooga implored Master Kohga to flee, but Master Kohga wouldn’t abandon him. If they survived this, he was going to be a great husband.

Astor summoned hollows to fight for him, and Sooga and Master Kohga were forced apart on the field. Sooga ground his teeth. Astor was trying to separate them. Sooga blocked another blow from the hollow Champion and then mentally amended that. Astor was succeeding at separating them. Then a blow hit Sooga in the chest and when he went backward, it was water that he hit.

“Sooga!” he heard Master Kohga shout before he went under. The Yiga Clan lived in the desert, and their uniforms were not made for swimming. By the time Sooga had struggled to the surface to catch a breath of air, he had been swept far downstream, and the fight was out of sight except for a distant red glow. Sooga did not know if it came from Astor or Master Kohga.

He struggled for the shore, but while Sooga was a strong swimmer, the current was fierce. All he could manage to do was to keep his head above the water and avoid drowning. Eventually, the river deposited him into a lake, and Sooga managed to drag himself to shore, where he promptly found himself surrounded by zora soldiers. Near collapse on the sandy bank, he eyed the spears pointed at him wearily.

“Surrender!” barked the zora captain.

“I yield,” Sooga said.

“Bind him,” the zora captain ordered. Sooga was in no condition to resist. Two zora soldiers tied his wrists and walked him to their camp. He was directed to a tent where he was made to sit on the ground. He was the only prisoner.

“May I have something to eat and drink?” he asked his captors.

“Answer the captain’s questions first,” said one of his guards. A zora captain – a different one than before – entered the tent just then.

“Name?” she demanded.

“Sooga.”

“How’d you end up in the water?”

“The prophet Astor performed blood sacrifices to aid the return of Calamity Ganon.”

The zora captain raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you cooperative?”

Sooga clenched his fists as they were bound. “The blood sacrifices were members of the Yiga Clan to which I belong. Astor will pay for what he has done, and all who fight for him are my enemy.”

“If your next statement is that we should untie you, I’ll tell you now that I wasn’t born yesterday. Now, tell me everything that you know.”

“Very well,” Sooga obliged. He began to relate to the captain all of the information he had that could be used to hurt Astor, although he said nothing that would harm the Yiga Clan. He was worried that the captain would press for information he did not wish to give, but the captain was satisfied with the intel on Ganon. When he had told the zora captain enough, refreshments were brought to him.

\---

In the end, they did untie him, and the reason that they did so was because a lynel stormed the camp. It was the zora captain who did so, a few seconds after the screaming began.

“Lynel,” she said tersely, cutting his bonds. “Think you can help?”

Sooga didn’t say anything. He just followed the zora captain to the tent where his swords had been stored and then charged the lynel. It was a difficult fight, and the hairs on his arms were singed from dodging the lynel’s fire blasts. His uniform, already in bad shape, was torn up beyond use, but when the fighting ended, it was the lynel that lay dead.

“Not bad,” panted the zora captain beside him. She still had not given him her name.

“You fought well yourself, Captain-” He let the sentence hang.

“Maril,” she answered. “Nice to meet you, I suppose.”

They disposed of the corpse, washed up, and then headed to the mess tent, where Captain Maril invited Sooga to eat with her.

“Talked it over with the other captain,” Captain Maril said after she’d swallowed a bite of fish. Being camped by a lake, fish was one of the few fresh items that they did have among their rations. “This war ain’t going well. We could use you on our side.”

“My loyalty will always be to Master Kohga,” Sooga answered honestly, “but I serve him best by aiding you. I will yield to your command until this fight is won.”

“You sure he still lives?” Captain Maril asked bluntly.

“He lives,” Sooga said resolutely. “He would not fall so easily.”

“I’ll take your word for it. And I’ll let you know if we get a way to contact him, but communication’s a right mess right now.”

“You have no contact with Princess Zelda’s forces?”

“Not for a week,” Captain Maril said, “but win or lose, our job’s just to keep fighting until it’s over, one way or the other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally planned for this to be the last chapter before I realized, while writing it, that the story wasn't close to being complete.


	4. Chapter 4

“Pack up; we’re heading out,” Captain Maril told Sooga, who nodded wordlessly. Other than the clothes he’d arrived in and his swords, the only thing he had was the standard soldier’s pack that Captain Maril had provided him. It came with two uniforms (one of which Sooga was now wearing), a tent, a canteen, emergency rations, and the tools to start a fire.

Sooga swiftly took down his tent and packed up. Shouldering the bag, he quickened his pace until he was walking beside Captain Maril. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“South and west,” Captain Maril said curtly. Sooga didn’t care that she didn’t trust him more than that. He didn’t need to know their exact location, just which direction to walk and where the enemy was to fight.

Nevertheless, as they walked, Sooga tried to reason out where they might be headed. He’d traveled extensively before he’d joined the Yiga Clan. He recognized the lake he’d washed into as Lake Hylia. That meant that they were in Faron. South and west would take them out of grasslands and into jungle. If they went farther than that, they’d hit the sea eventually. Sooga hadn’t seen the sea in ages. Master Kohga would probably love the sea-

Sooga’s muscles tensed involuntarily, and he clenched his fist. Astor was going to pay for what he had done, and the only reason Sooga would allow for it not to be Sooga dishing out the punishment was if Master Kohga wished to have the honor. The same doubts that had haunted Sooga since he’d hit the water started to creep into his mind, and he banished them with effort. Master Kohga had to be alive. There was no way he’d fall to one such as Astor. Sooga clenched his fists harder.

Captain Maril cast a glance at him and nodded, but she did not speak. The entire troop marched in silence. The enemy could be anywhere, and they’d lose visibility as the foliage around them thickened.

Eventually, they stopped and made camp for the night. A meal was cooked. Guards were posted, and tents were propped up. In the morning, everything was broken down, evidence of the camp’s existence was eradicated as much as possible lest an enemy be trailing them, and they marched out again.

It was the same the next day, and on the second night, Sooga had guard duty. So it was that he was the first to see Astor when Astor strolled into their camp. It was clear from Astor’s surprise that he had done so by mistake, and Sooga had raised the alarm before he could retreat.

“You!” Sooga growled, drawing his swords. He saw Astor start at his voice, and Sooga realized that Astor had never seen Sooga without his mask before. Behind Sooga, he heard the footsteps of the zora soldiers summoned by his alarm arrive.

“A pity you survived,” Astor sneered. “Such a shame that can’t be said about the other one.” Sooga raised his sword, but Astor spread his arms wide, and red orbs appeared around him as he levitated into the air. “Now you’ve gone and made yourself an enemy of Lord Ganon. You’ll pay for it in good time. Fate has decreed that the princess’ knight will shortly lose his…courage.” He floated backward and disappeared into the trees. Sooga started after him, but Captain Maril put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t let him goad you into walking into a trap,” she said firmly.

Sooga sheathed his swords. “You are right.”

“Tell me something, he ever lie to you back when you were working for him?”

“Yes. Many times, he made promises that were not fulfilled.”

“All right. Think on that. And everyone, pack up. I know dawn’s still a few hours off, but the enemy has our location. No point getting ambushed in our sleep.”

“Right,” were the cries of the zora soldier, and the camp was stripped down in short order, and the march began anew.

“We should hit the town of Zonai in a few hours,” Captain Maril told him and the rest. “We can resupply there and hopefully get some news.”

They walked as silently as one could through heavy jungle, and as the sun rose into the sky in a proper dawn, they arrived at Zonai. It was easy to locate even in the dense jungle by the sound of wailing and the smell of smoke in the air. When these signs reached the troop, Captain Maril urged them to quicken their pace.

The town of Zonai sprawled out on the edge of a lake, it’s stone walls and pillars blackened with signs of an attack. When they entered the confines of the town, Captain Maril split the troop into two: one to form a fire brigade to put out the flames and the other to help treat the wounded. Sooga was assigned to the former, so he did not get the story of what had happened until after immediate aid had been provided to the town. Once that task was accomplished, the troop made camp right outside of the town, and Captain Maril explained the situation as they ate.

“Right. So Ganon’s forces hit right before midnight. They did some damage as you all saw, but the worst of it was that they took captives. About two dozen.”

Sooga’s head snapped up, and when Captain Maril nodded at him, he stood up and spoke. “As Captain Maril knows and some of you have likely heard, I came here after Ganon’s prophet Astor used members of the Yiga Clan as blood sacrifices. Two dozen lives were stolen by that monster.” There were some quiet gasps from the soldiers. Fighting they knew, but as horrendous as the war had been, some things still shocked.

Captain Maril said a few more things and then dismissed the soldiers to their duties. There were grim, worried looks on the faces of many of the soldiers. Sooga started to head out to collect firewood, but Captain Maril stopped him and pulled him to the side.

“Yes, Captain?”

“I reckon it’s about time you got read in on what our purpose is. Whole rest of the troop knows, but our real destination is the Shae Katha Shrine. Princess Zelda was supposed to be heading there, so we’re hoping to rendezvous with her forces.”

“I do not know of that shrine.”

“You ever heard of the Spring of Courage?”

Sooga frowned. “Only in myth. It is the source of the power of the Triforce of Courage.”

“Right. Remember what that Astor fellow said? About the princess’ knight?” Sooga’s brain put the pieces together at lightning speed, and he felt horror wash over him. Captain Maril continued speaking. “Reckon Astor could do some damage to it with two dozen blood sacrifices?”

“We need to head there right away,” Sooga said urgently.

“And that brings us to our second problem,” Captain Maril said. “Other than a general location, we don’t know where the Spring of Courage or the Shae Katha Shrine is.”


	5. Chapter 5

Sooga considered their dilemma. Assuming that Astor knew the location of the Spring of Courage, Captain Maril’s troop could run a rescue mission by following the trail. As soon as Sooga considered the possibility, he dismissed it. They were hours behind Astor. In all likelihood, they would arrive at the Spring of Courage in time to bury two dozen corpses.

“Pardon me, but I couldn’t help but overhear,” Sooga heard a windy voice say. He and Captain Maril looked behind them to find a wizened old woman in a green dress.

“Is there something we can help you with, Elder?”

“Ah, call me Rory. Everyone does. And it’s me that can help you, perhaps. I heard you talking about the Spring of Courage. As it happens, I’ve been there, and I might be able to get you there faster than the monsters who stole those poor folks away.”

“Please continue.”

“Well, it’s like this. The Spring of Courage is mighty difficult to get to. Those horrible people went southwest after the raid. Our little town’s on the Harker Lake. Closer to the Farosh Hills, the Damel Forest thins out a bit. That’s the easiest way to get to the Spring of Courage. But it’s not the faster. They’ll wind their way, going that way. Faster to cut across the lake and then go right through the worst of the Damel Forest until you hit the Dracozu River. You can take that right up to the Dracozu Lake. The Spring of Courage is right beyond that. It’s a treacherous route, but it’s the fastest, all right. I’ll lend you my boat, if it’ll help save those poor folks.”

Captain Maril snapped into motion. She called for pen and ink and sketched a map with Rory’s input. Soldiers were sent to identify Rory’s boat and others to pack supplies. Then Captain Maril began selecting a team. The boat only sat one person, but the only one who’d need the boat was Sooga. The rest would be able to swim in the water.

A small contingent under the command of the other zora captain were left in Zonai to provide further aid to the town. The others gathered their weapons and supplies and headed to the banks of Harker Lake. Sooga dropped his supplies in the boat and then got in himself. It was a one-person canoe with a single paddle. Once they were across the lake, he’d have to carry it through the Damel Forest until they reached the river.

Sooga pushed off from the bank and glided out across the lake with zora swimming all around him and Captain Maril in the lead. It was a clear day when they set out, and the water quality was crystalline. Thus, he was able to observe as the lake bottom, shallow near the shore, dropped further and further away from the surface as he neared the center of the lake. By the time he was halfway across, there was nothing more than a black hole beneath him. With all the time he’d spent in the desert, it was unnerving, but they pressed onward.

As they reached the opposite shore of Harker Lake and continued their trek on foot through the Damel Forest, the sky above them grew cloudy. With the dense foliage, the forest grew very dark indeed, despite it being only midday. When the plop of the raindrops began, Sooga was grateful for the canoe that he held over his head while he carried his pack on his back. The zora were unbothered by the rain, but all of them cast nervous glances when lightning began to race across the sky.

“Keep moving,” Captain Maril bellowed over the storm that had come upon them. “We’re not going to get any more cover than we already have.”

So, the march through the jungle continued, and Sooga felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was hard to hear over the raging of the storm, but the underbrush around them rustled with the sound of unknown animals tracking them, and Sooga kept his guard up, mentally calculating how long it would take to set down his canoe, drop his pack, and draw his swords in the event of an attack. He was understanding why Astor had not chosen this path, but they did not have the luxury of time. Not if they were to save the captives before they met a grisly end.

The Dracozu River was the worst because by the time they reached it, the storm had cleared, and while they were going upstream, the river itself was a gentle and placid one that posed no difficulty. The banks rose only a few feet above the waterline. With enough time, the river would cut deeper, creating steep cliffs alongside it that would lead to the risk of ambush, but right now, it was just perfect. The banks were high enough to hide them if needed but not so high as to hide danger from them. Thus, there was nothing to distract Sooga’s mind from his worries and his recollection of Astor’s words. He told himself over and over again that Master Kohga couldn’t be dead. He wasn’t allowed to be dead.

_He’s not dead and we’ll be together again_ became a mantra that repeated over and over in Sooga’s mind, as if he could just think it enough times, it would become true. He wanted so badly to be able to just touch Master Kohga again that it hurt like a physical wound. He wished they had never met Astor and never aligned themselves with Calamity Ganon. He wished they lived in different times when tragedy and horror did not plague the land.

But wishing alone would accomplish nothing, so as they neared the source of the river, the tension grew, as Sooga and all of the zora soldiers ready for the rescue. Captain Maril had given them their orders. The highest priority was freeing the captives. Once each captive was free, there were four dozen zora in the troop tasked with retreating with them while the others engaged Astor’s forces in battle to allow them time to get away. Then they were to fall back themselves.

As they neared the Spring of Courage, keeping to the underbrush for cover, Sooga’s heart caught in his throat as he saw that Astor had beat them there, but then he spotted the still alive captives. They were kneeling in two rows of twelve each. Their hands were bound behind their backs, their feet were hobbled to prevent them from running, and they had been tied together at the neck. The zora who took them to safety could unbind their hands as they fled with them, but the other restraints would need to be removed right away.

Sooga turned his attention to the guards. Two moblins were directly guarding the captives, but there were others not far away. Sooga spotted two more moblins, as well as a mess of lizalfos and bokoblins. Captain Maril pointed at Sooga and then indicated the guard on the left. He nodded in understanding.

“Brethren!” Astor bellowed. “The day of triumph is upon us. With these noble sacrifices-” He waved a hand at the captives without looking at them. “-we will bring victory for Lord Ganon. As their blood dyes the waters of the Spring of Courage crimson, the knight of the princess will find his powers waning, and no one will be able to withstand our might!”

_Now_ , Captain Maril mouthed, and she and Sooga surged forward from their cover. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Captain Maril jab her trident into the chest of the moblin on the right, while Sooga’s swords made short work of the moblin on the left. Then they were slicing bonds and directing terrified captives to the waiting zora soldiers, who helped them to the water. The last two had been spirited away in the direction of the Dracozu River when the remaining forces surged onto the rescuers.

“Retreat!” Captain Maril shouted, and while the zora soldiers continued to fight, they did so while being pushed back to the waters. Once there, they’d be safe from a counterattack. Lizalfos could swim, but bokoblins could not. If Astor tried to pursue them, his forces would be cut in half, and zora were as swift in the water as lizalfos.

Astor stood back behind his forces, and Sooga gave him a furious look. His blood boiled and he wanted to charge the man and cut him to ribbons for what he had done, but that would separate him from Captain Maril’s troop and thus divide _their_ forces. Angrily, Sooga let himself be pushed back to the water. When he reached his boat, he leapt in it and pushed off. Now going down stream, it was a swift retreat. Once the now rescued captives were back home with their families, they could return with their full force to the Spring of Courage to drive the forces of Ganon from it, but Sooga suspected that by the time they returned, the enemy would have left on their own accord. Without the blood sacrifices, Astor could not harm the Spring of Courage.


	6. Chapter 6

The war ended. The war ended, and it was a week before anyone in Captain Maril’s unit even knew. Not until a royal messenger came thundering astride a horse shouting the good news did the sigh of relief go through the troops. No longer would they have to keep guard at the Spring of Courage to prevent interference by Ganon’s forces. No more would they have to fight, tend to their wounded, and fret for the people they protected.

There was still work to be done rebuilding what the war had destroyed and reestablishing peace, but Sooga bid his farewells to Captain Maril and headed westward. The thick jungle gave way to gentle grasslands, then barren mountains, and finally the great Gerudo Desert. Sooga tracked northwest along the mountain range, hoping to find some clue at the remains of the old Yiga Clan hideout as to Master Kohga’s whereabouts. Perhaps some members of the clan had returned there who’d have heard something.

He was surprised when he found Master Kohga and the remaining rest of the clan there. He thought it must be a mirage brought about by the desert heat until Master Kohga came charging toward him and enveloped him in a warm embrace.

“Sooga!” Master Kohga cried, soaking the front of Sooga’s uniform with tears. But it was okay; Sooga was dripping water on top of Master Kohga’s head himself. When Master Kohga finally released Sooga from the hug, he clutched Sooga’s arm and addressed the watching Yiga Clan members. “Everyone, I’d like to present my fiancé, Sooga.”

The Yiga Clan burst into cheers, applause, and inquiries as to when the wedding would be held. Sooga waved them down and turned to Master Kohga. “First, you must tell me what happened.”

“Getting bold, Sooga,” Ryoichi teased.

“That’s Master Sooga to you!” Master Kohga chided good-naturedly. “From this point on, the top banana’s a banana split!”

“Does that mean that we get strawberries?” asked Kyoko.

“On the wedding cake,” Master Kohga promised.

“But what happened?” Sooga pressed.

“We synched up with Princess Zelda’s forces. I gave that Astor bastard a right beating and then did the same to Calamity Ganon!”

“Alone?”

“Well, taking down Calamity Ganon was a team effort, but Astor was all me.”

“You’ve gotten even stronger since we were parted.”

“They gave me a sheikah slate. It’s amazing. But what of you? I feared you were dead when you went in the river.”

Sooga related his tale to Master Kohga and the Yiga Clan. Then they set about making wedding preparations. First there was all the people that had to be invited. This included not just the entire Yiga Clan, but Princess Zelda and many of her associates, as well as Captain Maril and her troop. To ensure there would be enough room for everyone, the ceremony was set to be in front of the bottomless pit. There was a time when having such a crowd all together would have led to violence, but with the war ended, it was now safe for them to gather together.

There was food to have ordered, invitations to write, seating arrangements to figure out (there were requests for the knight Link to be seated next to Zelda, Mipha, and Revali, which took some finagling to do), and an officiant to be found. Ultimately, Lady Urbosa agreed to marry them, as a way of burying the hatchet, now that the Yiga Clan was no longer a bandit clan. Master Kohga explained that they were helping Purah and Robbie and assisting travelers across the lands.

“We’ve set up hostels all across and up the mountains. We’ve in the hospitality business now.”

As the sun began to sink lower into the sky, wedding preparations weren’t even close to being complete, but it was time to eat. Sooga was not one to let his emotions get away from him, but he wanted to weep with happiness at being able to sit down and share a meal with those he most cared about. Master Kohga, who was much less reserved, did weep. So did many members of the Yiga Clan.

In some ways, Sooga was thankful for the stress that inevitably came with wedding planning. After the chaos and urgency of the war and barely averted calamity, Sooga was not sure he would have been able to immediately return to the relatively quiet life they had led before, which would now be even quieter, as the worst they would have to deal with was rude customers, instead of enemy soldiers. The wedding planning served as a way for him to ease into his new life.

The new life as the fiancé of Master Kohga brought some changes. Some of those changes – like the members of the Clan calling him “Master Sooga” – were ones that he was indifferent to. Others, like spending his evenings in Master Kohga’s quarters and having to remind himself that they were now his quarters, too, were much more pleasant. Sooga discovered that Master Kohga was as accomplished at marital arts as he was at martial arts, and that was extremely pleasant.

When the big day arrived, guests poured in from all across the land. The ceremony was set for later in the day, when the sun started to go down, and it was comfortable to remain outside. Banners were hung from cord strung across canyons, and chairs were set out before the bottomless pit. Sooga and Master Kohga stood before Lady Urbosa without masks, Sooga’s straight hair done in a single braid down the back and Master Kohga’s tight curls done in a myriad of box braids.

Vows were exchanged, the guests cheered, and then it was onto the reception. Master Kohga and Sooga fed each other pieces of banana cake, and then they licked each other’s fingers clean amid raucous cheers. There was eating and drinking, toasts and speeches. Finally, as the guests returned to their rooms for the night, Master Kohga and Sooga were left alone. They lounged on their bed, cuddled in each other’s arms, blissed out with how lucky and grateful they were to have each other.


End file.
